Gerard Butler and Michael C. Hall in Gamer
Released at the peak of the PlayStation 3 era, Gamer's efforts to attract teenage boys to theaters didn't exactly work out. The sci-fi action film was released only a few years after Gerard Butler had cemented himself as an action star with Zack Snyder's 300; additionally, Gamer also featured Michael C.
Hall, who was then headlining one of television's biggest shows, Dexter. Set in a dystopian future where the human population has the ability to control"avatars" in an online world and compete for cash, the movie shares thematic DNA with Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One and the recent The Running Man adaptation directed by Edgar Wright. Gamer also features Logan Lerman as the human controlling Butler's character, who seeks freedom from performing in this online gladiatorial duel. Gamer was released in 2009, and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who have since split. During their career as filmmaking partners, they directed Crank, its sequel, Crank 2: High Voltage, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Gamer opened to poor reviews and flopped at the box office; it grossed just $42 million worldwide against a reported budget of $50 million. It now holds a 29% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads,"With all of the hyperkinetic action and none of the flair of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's earlier work, Gamer has little replay value." 'Gamer' Was Inspired by Video Games, but Not Based on Any Gamer also features Ludacris and Kyra Sedgwick in supporting roles, and has found support in certain circles. In a retrospective defense, Collider's Gregory Lawrence wrote,"It plays like someone drank every flavor of Mountain Dew at once, read all of William Gibson’s books while someone played Gears of War in the background, did 18 suicide sprints, and then stream-of-consciousnessed out a screenplay. If Mad Max: Fury Road is praised to high-heaven for its unrelenting pace, grimy aesthetics, and crystallized, singular vision of mayhem, surely Gamer deserves some love, too." Subscribe for deep dives on cult movies and Gamer Craving deeper context on Gamer and similar cult films? Subscribe to the newsletter for thoughtful retrospectives, casting and production perspectives, and curated takes that examine these movies' influences and legacy. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. You can watch Gamer on Peacock beginning January 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates. Gamer Like Follow Followed R Action Thriller Sci-Fi Release Date September 3, 2009 Runtime 95 minutes Director Brian Taylor Cast See All Writers Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine Producers Gary Lucchesi, Richard S. Wright, Tom Rosenberg, Skip Williamson Powered by Expand Collapse
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